Symbols--Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms contains approximately 2,500 Western signs. In 1,600 articles their histories, uses, and meanings are thoroughly discussed. The signs range from ideograms carved in mammoth teeth by Cro-Magnon men to modern corporate logos and subway graffiti. A unique system for classifying signs according to graphic structure lets the reader look up the meaning of any sign in seconds. A comprehensive Word Index and a large number of cross-references throughout the book make it equally easy to find signs that are related to each other. In addition, the Appendices contain discussions on especially interesting aspects of ideograms, including the historical development of signs and meanings, ancient American ideograms, the signs of the alchemists and much more. This book serves both as a resource for professionals and a general reference tool for anyone interested in our graphic cultural heritage.
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Editorial Reviews
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A decidedly offbeat but way-cool resource. -- USA Today, July 4, 1998
Strange sign? 'Symbols' can help. Browsing is richly rewarded. -- New York Times, February 4, 1999
There is nothing else quite like this well-researched work. -- Library Journal, 1991
Strange sign? 'Symbols' can help. Browsing is richly rewarded. -- New York Times, February 4, 1999
There is nothing else quite like this well-researched work. -- Library Journal, 1991
From the Publisher
This is the third revised and augmented English language edition of Carl G. Liungmans book Symboler, published in Sweden in 1974. The book was previously available in English as Dictionary of Symbols and Thought Signs. Since its appearance on the Internet in 1997, with much e-mail feedback from both scholars and laymen, Symbols -- Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms, has become the most complete and up-to-date edition ever published.
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very useful,
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This review is from: Symbols -- Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms (Paperback)
This book is a visually rich resource, providing the reader with 2,500 graphically clear drawings of signs in black and white, alongside with Carl G. Liungman's explanations of their origin and uses. Browsing the pages is rewarding for the artist looking for inspiration. There is plenty of it -- the book contains some 1,600 articles, and an additional 100 pages with essays on ubiquitous/especially interesting signs or sign systems (such as the Mystical Pentagram, or the signs of the Alchemists).
The explanations are usually to the point, although I find that Liungman occasionally strays too far away from the subject at hand. The sections about the astrological systems of signs are particularly abundant in information, and would have gained from being more carefully edited. The selection of signs, however, is excellent; it even includes modern ideograms from the Internet age, such as the At sign. Symbols -- Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms really excels when it comes to searching for signs that the reader does not yet know the name of. Using a taxonomy scheme of his own, Liungman has classified the signs into 54 distinctive groups. The reader can navigate to any of the groups simply by describing the sign in terms of "Crossing lines/Not crossing lines", "Single-axis symmetric/Asymmetric" and so on. A quick glance at the right group overview page is all it takes to find the right match. This book is highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK but still worth buying,
By Saden Shard "Wyrm" (the lost) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Symbols -- Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms (Paperback)
I was inbetween 3 and 4 on this. It is a really good reference but it doesn't really give that much information for any of the symbols that it lists and it's not quite a complete list but still worth buying.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Reference Guide,
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This review is from: Symbols -- Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms (Paperback)
This is a fantastic reference guide for symbols that we encounter in every day life. It is also useful if one wants to use symbols in a creative or meaningful way. I suggest getting it if one is often curious about the meaning of certain pictures and symbols or if one likes to use symbols in their works.
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